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Cincinnati Senior Advisor

Senior care in your metro, explained by people who know the buildings

Free guidance for families across Hamilton, Butler, Warren and Clermont counties. Compare licensed assisted living, memory care, nursing and in-home care -- and find out what your state actually pays for.

26 verified communities
16 cities covered
Free to your family
Quick answer

Cincinnati Senior Advisor is a free senior care referral service. We help you compare licensed communities, verify licensing through your state's regulator, and understand what Medicaid, Medicare and VA benefits actually cover.

Free to families — paid by communities, not by you
Local advisors who know these communities
Every license verified against state health department records
No obligation and no pressure to tour

Cincinnati senior care spans four counties -- Hamilton, Butler, Warren and Clermont -- each nominally its own market, but all served by one Area Agency on Aging. Ohio licenses assisted living as a single Residential Care Facility type rather than tiering it by acuity, memory care certification only applies in one specific Medicaid-waiver context, and the published cost figures are state medians, not Cincinnati-specific ones. Almost nobody explains that before a family tours their first building.

That is what this site is for. We publish what your state's regulators actually require, what the published cost data actually says, and which communities in your metro we have verified — then a local advisor helps you narrow it down. The service is free to your family because communities pay us when a family moves in. You should know that going in, which is why we say it here rather than in the footer.

Short answer

Cincinnati Senior Advisor is a free senior care referral service for families across the Cincinnati, Ohio metro. We help you compare licensed assisted living, memory care, nursing and in-home care options, verify licensing through your state's regulator, and understand what Medicaid, Medicare and VA benefits will and will not pay for.

What senior care costs. Ohio's 2024 CareScout medians: about $5,500/month for assisted living, $9,034/month for a semi-private nursing home room. Read the full explanation →
How your state licenses assisted living. Ohio licenses assisted living as a single Residential Care Facility (RCF) type under ORC 3721, with a 120-day skilled-nursing cap. Read the full explanation →

Types of senior care

Cities we cover

Questions families ask

What license does Ohio require for assisted living, and what law covers it?

Ohio licenses assisted living as a Residential Care Facility (RCF) under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3721, with day-to-day operating rules in Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 3701-16. The Ohio Department of Health issues and inspects the license.

Does Ohio require a separate certification for memory care?

Only in one specific context: Residential Care Facilities serving residents under Ohio's Assisted Living Waiver must be certified for memory care under OAC 173-39-02.16. Private-pay memory care units outside that waiver are not certified the same way.

How does Ohio license nursing homes differently from assisted living?

Nursing homes are licensed under a separate administrative rule chapter, OAC 3701-17, distinct from OAC 3701-16 for Residential Care Facilities. Nursing homes are also federally certified and CMS star-rated, which assisted living in Ohio is not.

How many days can an assisted living community in Ohio provide skilled nursing before a resident must transfer?

Ohio caps the skilled nursing an RCF may provide at 120 days in any 12-month period per resident, under ORC 3721.011, with exceptions for physical/occupational/speech therapy and hospice residents.

Is independent living licensed the same way as assisted living in Ohio?

No. Independent living is generally unlicensed housing in Ohio because it does not include personal care. Assisted living is licensed as a Residential Care Facility specifically because it involves hands-on help with daily activities.

Where can I see a facility's Ohio inspection record before touring?

Ask the community directly for its most recent Ohio Department of Health inspection report, or contact the Ohio Department of Health directly to request survey history for a specific facility.

What is PASSPORT and what does it actually cover?

PASSPORT is Ohio's largest Medicaid home- and community-based waiver for seniors, paying for personal care, homemaker help, adult day care, respite, home modifications and structured family caregiving for those who need a nursing-facility level of care but want to stay home. It does not cover assisted living room and board.

Does Medicaid pay for assisted living room and board in Ohio?

No. Even under Ohio's Assisted Living Waiver, Medicaid pays for the care-services portion of an assisted living stay, not room and board. Families cover room and board out of income, Social Security or other private funds.

Not sure where to start?

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